OVERVIEWA model of consistency for the Owls over his last three seasons in the starting lineup, Christmas' point production in those campaigns ranked 12th (670 points in 2007-08), 13th (662 last season) and 15th (600 in 2006-07) on the school single-season record list. He became the only Owl to ever record 600 or more points three times in a career. He closed out his tenure as Temple's fourth-highest scorer, totaling 2,043 points.

That point total was the result of Christmas setting school marks for 3-point field goals made (319) and attempts (886), both ranking third on the Atlantic Ten Conference all-time charts. His 652 overall field goals and 420 free throws made both rank seventh in Temple annals. He also proved to be a capable defender, hauling in 576 rebounds in 130 games as an Owl.

Christmas has always been his team's featured performer. In four seasons at Samuel Fels High School, Christmas earned first-team All-Public League and third-team All-City honors as a senior in 2003-04. He was the leading scorer in the city of Philadelphia with a 26.5-point scoring average that season. He also averaged 17.7 points per game as a junior in 2002-03, earning honorable mention All-Public honors.

After graduating high school, Christmas spent the 2004-05 season playing for Philadelphia Lutheran Christian Academy, where he was ranked among the Top 40 prep school players in the nation by Hoop Scoop's Clark Francis. He averaged 18 points per game that year and was an All-Tournament selection at the 2005 National Prep Invitational held at the University of Rhode Island. He led his squad that featured nine players presently on a Division I basketball roster to a 35-3 record and a #5 ranking by theinsidershoops.com.

In his first season at Temple in 2005-06, Christmas played in all 32 games, making his lone start in the final game of season vs. Akron. He averaged 3.5 points per games, sixth best on squad and tops among reserves, but that scoring average is deceiving, as he averaged just 11.3 minutes per game.

As a sophomore, Christmas started 29 of 30 games, becoming the tenth player in school history to score 600 points. He was named second-team All-District and All-Atlantic Ten Conference, in addition to being named the league's Most Improved Player. He also picked up the Cy Kaselman and Palumbo Awards as the city/league's top free throw percentage leader and scoring champion, respectively.

Christmas led the conference points per game (20.0), becoming just the fifth Temple player to accomplish that feat. He ranked fourth on the team in rebounds (4.2 per game), second in steals (41), and fifth in assists (62). He also led the league in 20-point games (18) and 30-point games (5).

Christmas was selected team co-captain as a junior, as he started all 34 games. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Atlantic Ten Tournament, adding ESPNU Puerto Rico Shootout All-Tournament Team and USBWA and NABC All-District honors. He became just the third player to win back to back A-10 scoring titles, averaging 19.7 points per game. He set the school season-record (since broken) by making 104 three-point attempts, as he scored in double digits in 32 of the 34 games. He also led the team in scoring in 23 games, totaling 30 or more points three times, as he became the third Temple player with consecutive 600 point games (his 670 points ranks 12th on the school record list).

Christmas was an All-American honorable mention, again adding All-Atlantic Ten and both NABC and USBWA All-District accolades in 2008-09. He became just the second player in A-10 history to win the league Most Outstanding Player Award twice. He again led the conference in scoring, as his 662 points (19.5 per game) rank 13th on Temple's season-record list, becoming the first player to lead the league in scoring three times. He also averaged 5.8 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 1.5 assists per game.

2008-09 SEASONAll-American honorable mention by The NBA Draft Report and Associated Press...Was the first player in Atlantic Ten Conference history to lead the league in scoring three times in a career and joined Harper Williams of Massachusetts (1992-93) as the only players in A-10 annals to earn two conference Most Outstanding Player Awards...Named first-team All-Atlantic Ten, USWBA All-District and NABC All-District...Was a Naismith Trophy and Lowe's Senior Class finalist...Named to the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award second-team (an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages those leaders to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact on their circle of influence)...Won the Palumbo Award as the Big 5's top scorer for the third straight season and was named First Team All-Big 5 for the third-straight season at the 63rd annual Herb Good Basketball Awards Dinner...Won three A-10 Player of the Week awards this season to push his career total to ten, third- most in league history...Scored 662 points (19.5 per game), as he hit on 41.4 percent of his field goals (218 of 527), 35.2 percent of his 3-pointers (set school season-records by making 107 of 304 attempts) and 75.3 percent of his chances from the foul line (119 of 158)... Pulled down 197 rebounds (5.8 per game), as he doled out 98 assists (2.9 per game), had 51 steals (1.5 per game) and blocked five shots...Charged with 98 turnovers and 85 personal fouls (recorded a pair of disqualifications)...Scored in double figures 31 times, including at least 20 points in 16 contests (two for 30 or more points)...Posted four double-double performances.

2007-08 SEASONFirst-Team All-Atlantic Ten Conference and All-Big Five choice...Named the Most Outstanding Player of the Atlantic Ten Tournament...USBWA All-District first-team pick, adding NABC All-District second-team accolades... Named to the ESPNU Puerto Rico Shootout All-Tournament Team...Three-time A-10 and Big 5 Player of the Week (3/9, 1/27, 12/23) selection...The team co-captain started all 34 games, again leading the team and league in scoring, averaging 19.7 points per game (670 total rank 12th on the school season-record list)...Became the third player in A-10 history and first since John Battle of Rutgers (1984, 1985) to lead the league in scoring in successive years. The other player is St. Bonaventure's Earl Belcher (1980, 1981)...Shot 43.9 percent from the field (210 of 478), 36.9 percent from 3-point range, as he made 104 of 282 treys, both ranking second on the school season-record list...Added 146 of 189 free throws (77.2 percent), as he grabbed a career-high 202 rebounds (5.9 per game) and blocked seven shots...Credited with 86 assists (2.5 per game) and 46 steals (1.4 per game), but was charged with 96 turnovers...Scored in double digits in 32 of the 34 games...Led the team in scoring in 23 games, tallied 30 or more points three times... Became third Temple player with consecutive 600-point seasons.

2006-07 SEASONAll-Atlantic Ten Conference first-team pick and named the league's Most Improved Player, as he led the A-10 and team in scoring (600 points, 20.0 per game)...NABC second-team All-District and first-team All-Philadelphia Big 5 choice...Was also selected the Most Improved Player in the Big 5, and picked up Cy Kaselman and Palumbo Awards as city-league's top free throw percentage leader and scoring champion, respectively...Led Temple in minutes per game (34.3)...Led the team and conference in points per game (20.0)-just the fifth Owl to accomplish that feat, joining David Hawkins (2003-2004), Aaron McKie (1992-1993), Mark Macon (1990-1991) and Terence Stansbury (1982-1983)...Fourth on the team with 126 rebounds (4.2 per game), second in steals (41), and fifth in assists (62)...Led the conference in 20-point games (18) and 30-point contests (5)...Became the 10th player in Temple history to score 600 points in one season...Led the team in scoring 15 times...Four-time A-10 Player of the Week and five-time Big 5 Player of the Week choice.

2005-06 SEASONPlayed in all 32 games, making his lone start in final game of season vs. Akron, as he averaged 3.5 points per game (111 total), sixth-best on the squad and tops among the reserves...Averaged 11.3 minutes per game, scoring in double figures 15 times...Had 51 rebounds (1.6 per game), 15 assists (0.5 per game), five blocked shots and 16 steals (0.5 per game).

CAREER NOTESChristmas is the first player in school history to score 600 points in three straight seasons and is the first athlete to lead the Atlantic Ten Conference in scoring three times...Joined Harper Williams of Massachusetts (1992-93) as the only players to earn the Atlantic Ten's Most Outstanding Player Award twice in a career...The two-time team captain started 98 of 130 games, logging 3,849 minutes on the court...Became the fourth player in school history and the 13th in A-10 annals to score over 2,000 points in a career (2,043 points rank fourth in Owls annals and 12th in league history)...His 670 points scored in 2007-08 rank 12th, 662 points in 2008-09 rank 13th and 600 points in 2006-07 rank 15th on the school season-record chart...Shot 42.6 percent from the field, as his 652 field goals made rank seventh and his 1,531 attempts rank sixth on the school all-time record list...Shot 36.0 percent from 3-point range (10th in school history), as his 319 treys made set the Temple all-time record and rank third on the A-10 career chart behind Darnell Harris of La Salle (342, 2005-08) and Monty Mauk of Massachusetts (331, 1998-2001) while surpassing the old Owl record of 305 three-pointers by Lynn Greer (1997-2002)...His 107 3-pointers made in 2008-09 set the school season-record and his 104 treys in 2007-08 rank second, topping the previous mark of 95 by Lynn Greer (2001-02)...Shot 40.0 percent from 3-point range (88 of 220) in 2006-07, the eighth-best season percentage by an Owls performer...Connected on 77.8 percent of his free throws during his career, including 87.1 percent as a sophomore (128 of 147) that rank fourth on the school season-record chart...His 420 free throws made rank seventh and his 540 free throw attempts rank tenth in Temple annals....Registered 576 rebounds (4.4 per game), the 26th-best career total by an Owl...Handed out 261 assists (2.0 per game), as he had 154 steals (1.2 per game) and 28 blocked shots (0.2 per game)...Scored over 20 points in a game 53 times, including ten contests where he put up at least 30 points...Named Atlantic Ten Conference Player of the Week ten times in his career, third most in league history. Only Xavier's David West (14.'00-03) and Saint Joseph's Jameer Nelson (13, '01-04) have earned more A-10 Player of the Week honors.

HIGH SCHOOLAttended Samuel Fels (Philadelphia, Pa.) High School...Earned first-team All-Public League and third-team All-City honors as a senior in 2003-04...Was the leading scorer in the city of Philadelphia with a 26.5-point scoring average that season...Averaged 17.7 points per game as a junior in 2002-03, earning honorable mention All-Public honors.

PREP SCHOOL: Spent the 2004-05 season playing for Philadelphia Lutheran Christian Academy, where he was ranked among the Top 40 prep school players in the nation by Hoop Scoop's Clark Francis...Averaged 18 points per game that year and was an All-Tournament selection at the 2005 National Prep Invitational held at the University of Rhode Island...Led his squad that featured nine players presently on a Division I basketball roster to a 35-3 record and a No. 5 ranking by theinsidershoops.com.

SCOUTING REPORTPositives: Despite leading the Atlantic Ten Conference in scoring in each of his last three seasons, Christmas is more suited for being an NBA role player than his team's scoring focus...Has a decent offensive game, but it is his ability to adapt to what the defense gives him that sets him apart from typical streaky college shooters...Has the long wingspan (6 feet, 9 inches), standing reach (8-6 1/2), leaping ability (32 1/2-inch vertical jump) and court speed (3.21 three-quarter court sprint) NBA teams look for in a two-guard...His bread-and-butter is perimeter shooting; he holds the school career record (third in A-10 annals) with 319 treys made, but you would hope that he can improve upon his accuracy of 36.0-percent (10th in school annals)...Shows good court vision and basketball IQ, as he can easily pop in a jumper from mid-range, set his feet to execute a long range shot or find the soft areas to get to the basket in catch-and-shoot situations...Has the size you look for in a two-guard, along with the ability to get off the floor in a hurry, as his quick release, follow-through and elevation allow him to take uncontested shots...Has the leg drive to attack the basket when his mid-range rhythm is off and uses his strength effectively to finish around the rim...Shows good vision getting through traffic and into creases in the defense to consistently convert in transition, using his body to draw contact and get to the foul line...Has good lateral agility and can work open coming off screens to execute a jump shot...Work in progress, but showed improvement taking his shot coming off the dribble as a senior...Smart and instinctive player who will generally be effective utilizing his crossover and has that quick first step that helps him beat slower guards...Has the quickness and long limbs to stay in front of the perimeter shooter, but will get a bit reckless with his hands, resulting in foul trouble.

Negatives: Better in a role-playing position than as the team's go-to scorer and can fall into a "Me vs. The World" mentality on offense...Can drive to the basket and draw contact, but needs to improve his rotation when shooting free throws...Gets into a rhythm where he tries to create something out of nothing and when contested, he will try to force the issue with an off-balance shot...Has good basketball IQ, but too often will try to force his shot and while he will never be a point guard, he does not appear to have the ball-handling or facilitator skills to see time there...Streaky shooter, especially behind the arc...With his struggles as a ball-handler, he has yet to develop efficient slashing skills...Adequate rebounder, but for a player with his reach and leaping ability, it is very rare to see him go up and contest shots (28 blocks in 130 games)...Lacks aggression when posting up smaller opponents and must continue to develop strength needed to play a better game with his back to the basket.

Compares To: KEITH BOGANS, Milwaukee -- Christmas has a nice mid-range game and can also hit from the perimeter, but he is a streaky rhythm shooter who will continue to force the issue, even when he gets in a rut and can't buy a basket. He needs to use his leaping ability to contest shots and must greatly improve his ball-handling skills to reduce a high turnover rate.